2021 Guide to Disney After Hours Boo Bash (Review & Map)

Disney After Hours Boo Bash was an After Hours event that ran in the place of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party back in 2021. While Boo Bash had some elements of the full Halloween Party, it lacked many of our favorite things – like the Boo to You parade.

Although we appreciated Disney’s efforts to bring some of the spooky season back during a difficult time, we were glad when in 2022, the full Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party returned.

You can read up on what Boo Bash was all about below, or jump over to our Complete Guide to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party to get caught up on what to expect this year.

Disney After Hours Boo Bash has been replaced by Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

What was Disney After Hours Boo Bash?

Disney After Hours events are not new. In fact, 3 of the 4 parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, & Hollywood Studios) have hosted this type of specially ticketed event in recent years.

Before Boo Bash, Magic Kingdom park had 2 different After Hours versions: a “regular” version which just granted guests access to nearly all attractions in the park with little to no wait, and a villains-themed version which included special entertainment and food offerings, too.

And then, during the pandemic, Disney temporarily added a 3rd After Hours option at Magic Kingdom: Disney After Hours Boo Bash.

Disney After Hours Boo Bash was a family-friendly Halloween-themed specially ticketed event.

It is important to note, that while this new option drew a lot of inspiration from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, it definitely felt more like a traditional After Hours event than a “party”.

Much like the After Hours events from the past, Disney After Hours Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom gave guests access to attractions and “free” food.

You’d also find decorations, chances to see a few characters (no meet & greets, though), and even some fun Halloween-themed cavalcades.

And the best part?

Those events had a reduced capacity, which meant the lines for all your favorite attractions were typically extremely short. More on all of that below.

Was Boo Bash like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?

Yes and No.

Although Boo Bash was brand new, it drew a lot of its elements from 2 different previous events: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Disney Villains After Hours.

And, although those events might sound similar, they each have a different focus:

After Hours events are centered on being able to ride lots of rides with little to no waits, while the draw for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is Halloween-specific entertainment offerings (like the Boo to You parade, fireworks, and a plethora of character meet opportunities).

In the past, After Hour events didn’t typically occur in the fall.

And then Boo Bash came along in 2021, and it had a giant scoop of an After Hours event with a dash of the Halloween Party tossed in for a little added spice.

So, although Boo Bash had some Halloween Party favorites like trick-or-treating, the fact is that Boo Bash was a lot more like an After Hours event than Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Let us be clear: that doesn’t mean that Boo Bash is bad or not worth it. Not at all!

But, it does mean that if you were used to attending MNSSHP, you may have wanted to make sure your expectations were set for the event to feel more like an After Hours Event rather than a full-fledged Halloween Party.

Boo Bash, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and Villains After Hours Comparison Chart

When is Disney After Hours Boo Bash?

Important Note: The dates below are for 2021 Boo Bash After Hours events. Disney has not held a Boo Bash After Hours event since October 2021.

Back in 2021 when it last ran, Boo Bash was held on 28 select nights for three hours each beginning Aug. 10 through Oct. 31. 

When can I buy Boo Bash tickets?

Disney Boo Bash Tickets are not on sale, and we do not anticipate them returning.

In 2021, Disney announced Boo Bash on May 7, and tickets went on sale beginning June 8 (for onsite resort guests) and June 15 (for everyone else).

Like other special events, you could purchase tickets online or by calling 407-939-4240. Tickets were nontransferable and nonrefundable.

How much did Disney Boo Bash cost?

2021 Boo Bash Ticket prices were as follows:

• $129-$139 (plus tax) for August and September nights
• $159-$169 (plus tax) for October nights
• $199 (plus tax) for Oct. 31 event

There is no way around it, the tickets weren’t cheap. But, August and September prices were comparable to what we saw in the original events, which ranged from $129 up to $149.

Important note: Boo Bash did not require guests to have an additional day theme park ticket or a Disney Park Pass reservation. Also, those with Boo Bash tickets could get into Magic Kingdom as early as 7 p.m. on the night of the event they’re attending.

Were there discounts available?

Yes, although not as big as in previous years, Disney Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members could receive a $10.00 discount per ticket for select nights in August and September.

Was Boo Bash worth it?

Boo Bash may definitely have been worth it for some people. Here were our thoughts back in 2021:

• Price. This wasn’t an inexpensive ticket, and if you were traveling with children, they pay the same price as the adults. If you were concerned about budget or getting the most out of your money, keep that in mind before you purchase.
• Late hours. Unlike the previous Halloween events, this one didn’t start until after the park closed. Late nights aren’t for everyone.
• Halloween-light. If you were expecting the same feel and vibe of Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you would likely be disappointed. Yes, there were Halloween touches and some aspects of the old Halloween party available, but it did not pack the same Halloween punch as MNSSHP.

If you were hunting for something fun to do or a unique extra to add to your trip, OR you just want to get some extra Magic Kingdom time in, and you knew you’d be able to stay up late enough to enjoy it, then Boo Bash was a great option!

But, if you hate late nights or you went to the Halloween parties for the characters, parade, or fireworks, you likely would not have found Boo Bash to be worth the price of the ticket.

What were the wait times like?

Because only a limited number of tickets were sold, wait times were typically a lot less than what you’d find during the normal park hours, especially at the popular attractions.

Wait times for the most popular attractions and the attractions that are slow to load (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Haunted Mansion) were still around 20-40 minutes.

Since that is a large chunk of your party time, unless you were only attending for the rides, we recommended you try to knock out some of the headliners before the official event start time. That would free up more of your Boo Bash time for some of the other party-exclusive things below.

What took place during Disney After Hours Boo Bash?

While you didn’t find everything you’d typically see at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, there was still a lot of fun to be had. Here’s how it worked in 2021:

Checking-in and Wristbands

Because the park is open to non-party guests until after Disney Enchantment, when the park closed, Disney Cast Members set up checkpoints throughout Magic Kingdom where they confirmed that people had Boo Bash wristbands.

Then, after the park closed, people with wristbands were allowed to move freely throughout the park, but those without were directed towards the exit.

Wristband distribution began around 7 pm.

If you were already in the park, youd be able to get your wristbands at 2 different locations:

• Tortuga Tavern
• Across from Monster’s, Inc.

If you were arriving to Magic Kingdom around 7 pm, you’d be able to check in and get your wristband as you enter.

Trick-or-treating

Trick-or-treat stations were scattered throughout the park, and both adults and kids were invited to join in on the fun.

Bags were typically available when you got your wristband, but if you didn’t get one then, they had them at all the trick-or-treat stops (or you could bring your own).

Here’s where you could find the trick-or-treat locations:

• Ariel’s Grotto (inside where Ariel used to meet)
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (outside between Cosmic Ray’s and the Tomorrowland Speedway)
• Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor (You’ll collect candy in 2 spots: as you walk into the seating area and as you exit it. You can walk-through or sit down and watch the show.)
• Pecos Bill (inside the restaurant)
• Fantasyland Train Station area
• Splash Mountain
• Enchanted Tiki Room (inside the attraction)

Allergy-friendly treats

People with food allergies: you could grab a teal bag from a Cast Member at any treat location and/or head to the Liberty Square Ticket Center for an allergy-friendly selection.

You could collect teal tokens at the trick-or-treat stations, which could later be redeemed for allergy-friendly treats.

At the end of the night, although it wasn’t indicated on the map, you could also often find an Allergy Center at the front of the park inside the Chamber of Commerce, which was great for a last-minute stop as you exit for the evening.

Decorations

Of course, you’d be able to see some decorations during the day, but in honor of Disney World’s 50th anniversary, the park was decked out in “a fall look with the enchanting story of Cinderella by creating special pumpkin coach decorations that add to the park’s sparkling EARidescence during this magical time.”

Costumes

Who doesn’t love playing dress up?

Everybody that attended Boo Bash was welcome to dress up, as long as they follow Disney’s current costume policy:

• Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests.
• All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
• Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
• Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
• Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
• Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.

For guests ages 13 and under:

• Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.

For guests ages 14 and over:

• Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
• Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (e.g.,full-length Princess dresses)
• Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
• Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, and hats are acceptable.
• Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords, and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
• Masks of any kind may not be worn.

Want more costume tips? Take a look at our Costume FAQ.

Character Cavalcades

We love the Boo to You Parade at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but we don’t enjoy having to give up so much of our party time to secure a good viewing spot.

Character cavalcades make it easier to see some of the best parade components without having to wait around.

Is it the same experience? No. But, having the option to see at least some floats is better than no parade at all.

During Disney After Hours Boo Bash, you had several Halloween Cavalcades to see, including:

• Mickey’s Happy Halloween Cavalcade (Mickey & friends in their Halloween attire)
  • Times: 9:55 pm & 11:25 pm
  • Route: 9:55 pm begins and ends in Frontierland; 11:25 pm begins in Frontierland, ends on Main Street U.S.A

• Disney’s Villains Halloween Cavalcade (Disney villains including Jafar, Evil Queen, Dr. Facilier, Queen of Hearts, & the Bowler Hat Guy)
  • Times: 10:30 pm and 11:45 pm
  • Route: Begins in Frontierland, ends on Main Street U.S.A

• Jack’s Nightmare Cavalcade (Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie)
  • Times: 10:40 pm and 11:55 pm
  • Route: Begins in Frontierland, ends on Main Street U.S.A

• Maleficent (fire-breathing dragon float from the Festival of Fantasy parade)
  • Times: 10:50 pm and 12:05 am
  • Route: Begins in Frontierland, ends on Main Street U.S.A

Cadaver Dans

You could also catch the Cadaver Dans performing Halloween favorites on the balcony near Country Bear Jamboree.

Characters

You couldn’t meet or hug your favorite characters at Boo Bash, but a few were out and about in the park for you to see and take socially-distanced photos with.

Crystal Palace (patio area along the front): Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, & Eeyore

Frontierland Balcony (near Country Bears Jamboree): Chip & Dale and the Cadaver Dans

Pirates of the Caribbean (stage across from the entrance): Pirate Goofy

Haunted Mansion (lawn at the front of the attraction): Madame Carlotta, Madame Renatta, Butler Broome

Pinocchio Village House (balcony as you walk into the restaurant): Foulfellow and Gideon

In addition to those spots, at the end of the evening you were also likely to see characters from the Mickey’s Happy Halloween Cavalcade waving you goodbye from the Train Station.

DJ Dance Party

You could dance along with all your friends over at the Tomorrowland Stage.

Complimentary Snacks & Drinks

In addition to Halloween candy, like the other After Hours events you also had access to complimentary popcorn, ice cream bars (including Mickey bars) and bottled beverages.

These were generally found in carts stationed throughout the park.

Specialty Treats

Prefer something fancier than a Mickey Bar or bag of popcorn?

It will cost you extra, but you’ll had several specialty treats to choose from. Here’s what they had in 2021:

Prince John Sucker Frozen Drink
Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
Tart green apple lemonade topped off with a Ring Pop

Mocha Chocolate Chip Frozen Drink
Golden Oak Outpost
Frozen mocha with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and a sugar acorn

Apple Ginger Dale Frozen Drink
Golden Oak Outpost
Frozen apple cider mixed with ginger ale and topped with whipped cream)

Foolish Mortal Funnel Cake
Sleepy Hollow
Funnel cake topped with chocolate cookie crumbles, purple vanilla ice cream, caramel drizzle, and M&M’s Chocolate Ghoul’s Mix.

Five dozen Egg Slush
Storybook Treats
Frozen custard with brown sugar topped with whipped cream & served with a cinnamon stick

Maleficent Churro
Main Street Outdoor Vending Carts
Churro covered in chocolate cookie crumble and drizzled with purple icing, topped with green & purple sugar.

PhotoPass

PhotoPass photographers were out and about taking both regular photos and Halloween-themed magic shots.

Boo Bash Magic Shot PhotoPass locations:

• Town Square (at the flag pole)

• Main Street U.S.A (near Casey’s Corner)

• Near Columbia Harbor House (across from Haunted Mansion)

• Near Hall of Presidents (to the right of the entrance)

• Fantasyland (near Pinocchio Village House and the restroom)

Rides & Attractions

One of the main selling points to this event was the fact that the reduced capacity meant you could knock out a bunch of attractions with little to no waits.

Adventureland

• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Jungle Cruise
• Pirates of the Caribbean 
• Swiss Family Treehouse

Frontierland

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Splash Mountain
• Country Bear Jamboree

Liberty Square

• Haunted Mansion

Fantasyland

• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• The Barnstormer
• Dumbo
• “it’s a small world”
• Mad Tea Party
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

Tomorrowland

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

And Here’s What was NOT Available:

While many things were open for the event, there were some things that were not.

That includes all the attractions and character meet & greets that were already temporarily closed (marked with an * below) as well as a couple of others:

Adventureland

• Enchanted Tiki Room (being used as a trick-or-treat stop)

Main Street, U.S.A.

• Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater*
• Meet Tinkerbell at Town Square Theater*

Fantasyland

• Enchanted Tales with Belle*
• Princess Fairytale Hall*

Liberty Square

• The Hall of Presidents*

Tomorrowland

• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor* (being used as a trick-or-treat stop; there is no full performance, but the monsters do interact with people trick-or-treating and you can stay as long as you like)
• Carousel of Progress

Merchandise

Of course, you could purchase Halloween merchandise. You could find everything from t-shirts to spirit jerseys to mugs at the Emporium (on Main Street USA) and at Star Traders (in Tomorrowland).

Tips for Boo Bash

• Don’t go into the evening tired. In fact, we recommend you either take a nice long break or skip a park all together on the day you’re scheduled to attend.
• Boo Bash tickets are expensive, but you can save a bit of money on your trip by skipping purchasing a regular park ticket the day you plan to go. Use the day to rest up for the late night and since you’ll be able to enter Magic Kingdom at 7 pm you’ll have about 5 hours to explore the park with minimal waits.
• Even though there aren’t fireworks during Boo Bash, your ticket gets you into the park in time to see the regular Magic Kingdom fireworks before park closes to non-Boo Bash guests.
• The carts with the free treats and drinks at the front of the park can develop long lines so if you can, try a cart away from the Hub area for shorter waits.
• Boo Bash almost over? Grab a bottle or two of beverages to take back to your hotel.
• Have a PhotoPass photographer snap your pic on Main Street on the way out. Gotta take advantage of having almost nobody in the park to clutter up your photo!

Touring Plan

Putting it all together and trying to fit it into a 3 hour event is a challenge, but here’s how we’d suggest dividing your time to be able to sample several of the best options available during Boo Bash.

Before party begins (can enter at 7:00)

• Pick up wristband
• Visit attractions not open during event (Hall of Presidents, Riverboat, Laugh Floor, Carousel of Progress, Enchanted Tiki Room)
• Watch fireworks

First Hour

• Candy/rides in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland
• Characters at Haunted Mansion

Second Hour

• Snag a bottled drink and snack at a snack cart
• Find a spot across from Country Bear Jamboree to watch Cadaver Dans, Chip & Dale, and 3 cavalcades

Third Hour

• Rides, characters, and/or Magic Shot
• Mickey’s Happy Halloween Cavalcade
• Snag a bottled drink and snack to take on your way out

Boo Bash Guide Map

To make it easy, we’ve put all of the important stuff on a map so you’ll know where to find what during Boo Bash. Save to your phone for quick reference later.

Review: How our 2 evenings at Boo Bash went

Purchasing our tickets

I wish we could jump right in and tell you all about our thoughts on the parties themselves, but we *have* to start with the process of what it took to actually get the tickets because whoa boy was it a mess.

We (along with understandably every other Disney World fan) were incredibly excited when it was announced that special events were returning to Walt Disney World.

Once we heard the news, we knew that our goal would be to get tickets for the first 2 nights of Boo Bash.

(We like to do multiple nights because we need extra time to collect info, plus, the 1st night is never a good one to use as a gauge for developing an opinion.)

We’ve never had an issue grabbing tickets or reservations before, but this time we knew it would be different. Especially since for Boo Bash, if we wanted to take advantage of the advance purchase for onsite resort guests, we would have to call in. On the phone. Like in the olden days. Gasp.

Disney is infamous for having tech issues, and on the day the tickets went on sale, we were among the thousands of others that sat on hold on the phone for hours upon hours upon hours.

Seriously, we waited nearly all day. On the phone.

Had this not been for work, I don’t know that we would have waited as long as we did.

But our stubbornness perseverance paid off, and we secured tickets to the first 2 Boo Bash events, but not without first being traumatized by Disney tech.

How it went at Boo Bash

Even though this is an After Hours event and even though we *KNEW* going in that some things were missing, it was nearly impossible for us to not spend the evening comparing it to a typical night at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

That’s not to say that we hated it. We didn’t!

In fact, we had a lot of fun. But, we weren’t confident that it totally met our expectations, which is maybe our fault for having the wrong expectations to begin with.

We go into a lot more details in the comparison chart above, but there were definitely some things that we missed and that we hope to see Disney fix if they plan to continue with Boo Bash instead of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary.

First, what we liked:

Hands down the best thing about the evening was the crowds.

The lower crowds were a dream. If you wanted to focus on attractions, having the attendance capped definitely made that easier. There were still lines at the headliners (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) BUT, the lines were definitely much better than what you’d find at the middle of the day.

Lower crowds also make the entire evening feel very … chill. Relaxed. Laid back.

We also loved that we could just pop over and watch the cavalcades without having to save our seat for an hour or fight the crowds for a view.

And, we love a free bottled beverage. We don’t eat a lot of ice cream or popcorn, but having the option to get a free bottle of water or Diet Coke is nice.

What we think could be improved

But, while we definitely loved parts of our evenings, there were several things we thought Disney could improve.

First – the characters. Although there were characters there, they weren’t out all the time AND they were few and far between. And I mean they were VERY few and far between.

We aren’t even character people, but we really, really missed seeing all the unique characters. Not having more out where we could see them felt like a definite miss to us.

Second, the entertainment.

If Disney does Boo Bash again next year, we really hope they bring back the full parade and fireworks. For the price of the ticket, we kind of expect something more special than a cavalcade.

Of course, whatever the current health and safety guidelines are will dictate a lot of things, but if they can do it, they really need to.

Next, 3 hours is not enough time. I know it SOUNDS like a lot of time, but it isn’t; not for the price of the ticket.

Yes, yes, yes – you can get in early with your event ticket, but 3 hours for the actual event itself just wasn’t enough.

But if you make the event last longer, you also have to remember that you’ll have to stay up later.

And that can be hard, especially if you’ve had a full park day or if you have kids.

In fact, we would never recommend a family with small children attend.

Sure, there are family-friendly things to do at Boo Bash (like trick-or-treating), but in order for your little ones to enjoy it, they’d have to stay up very, very late. And don’t forget, there isn’t a price break for kids. No matter the age, everyone pays the same high price for their ticket.

As fast as the tickets sold out, there was clearly a pent-up demand for special events to return to Magic Kingdom. And if we had never attended Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party we probably would have been totally happy with Boo Bash.

But, we’ve seen what Halloween can REALLY look like at Magic Kingdom, and although we had fun at Disney After Hours Boo Bash, if it returns in 2022 we hope that it does so with some improvements.